Le Mans vs Lens — Tips & Analysis

Le Mans +1: Lens arrive three days after a Champions League night in Prague, and they are six players short. Abdulhamid, Baidoo, Chavez, Nawrocki and Titraoui are injured, and Sagnan is suspended after a red card. Le Mans have had eight days off. Le Mans have not lost at the MMArena yet, with three wins and two ties there, and they let in less than a goal a game at home. Better still for us, they have not lost by 2 or more in any of their last 13 games. Lens are the stronger team. They score more than 2 goals a game and have won 10 of their last 16. They have won by 2 or more in 6 of those 16 as well. But they have already lost at home to Lorient and away at Strasbourg this season. The last 5 meetings split two wins each with one tie. Our read is a 1-1 tie, and a close game is all Le Mans need. Here is the catch. Seven of Le Mans' last ten results came in Ligue 2, so that home record is built mostly against weaker teams. In Ligue 1 they have two points from three games, and Lens can still win this by 2 if they rotate well. We are with the home team and the goal in hand against tired legs.